US import compliance
Food entering the United States has to satisfy the importer, not only the buyer. ALPHATRADE carries the Foreign Supplier Verification Program obligation that FSMA places on the importer, and qualifies every producing site against it before a program ships.
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Every producing site is audited before it enters a program, and current food-safety certification is a mandatory part of that audit. Certificate scope and expiry are confirmed in writing for the selected product before the first order, because a certificate that does not name the product is not evidence for that product.
Working information
From the first commercial brief, the important information should stay visible to the buyer, supplier and delivery process.
What is verified
Sites are required to hold current food-safety certification: BRCGS, FSSC 22000 or IFS Food for GFSI-recognised programs, and ISO 22000 where a buyer accepts it. The certificate, its scope and its expiry date are confirmed for the specific product before the program is agreed.
Any site shipping food to the United States must hold a current FDA food facility registration. Registration renews only in the October to December window of even-numbered years, so it is checked against that cycle rather than assumed current.
FSVP is the importer obligation under FSMA, not the supplier obligation. It requires a written verification per supplier and per food, supported by hazard analysis and the producing-site documentation. ALPHATRADE carries it as part of the program.
Prior Notice is filed with the FDA for every shipment before it arrives, with the product, producing site, quantity and arrival details. A shipment without it is refused at the port.
Canned and acidified products under 21 CFR 113 and 114 additionally require FCE and SID registration of the process and the plant. This applies to canned vegetables, olives and similar products, and is confirmed separately from the food-safety certificate.
Each lot ships with analysis against the agreed specification, the ingredient and allergen declaration reviewed for the destination market, and the commercial and transport documents the entry requires.
The working process
The producing site is audited and its current certification, scope and expiry confirmed for the specific product.
The written supplier verification, hazard analysis and producing-site documentation are assembled before the first order.
Prior Notice is filed, lot analysis is issued against the agreed specification, and entry documentation travels with the goods.
Common questions
The Foreign Supplier Verification Program is a requirement of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. It is the obligation of the importer of record, not the foreign supplier. It requires a written verification for each supplier and each food, covering hazard analysis, evaluation of the supplier and the verification activities performed. ALPHATRADE carries this obligation as part of the supply program.
Current food-safety certification is a mandatory requirement of the ALPHATRADE supplier audit. Sites are required to hold BRCGS, FSSC 22000 or IFS Food where a GFSI-recognised standard is needed, and FDA food facility registration where the product ships to the United States. The certificate, its scope and its expiry are confirmed in writing for the selected product before the first order.
No. ISO 22000 on its own is not recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative. BRCGS, FSSC 22000 and IFS Food are. Where a buyer requires a GFSI-recognised standard, ISO 22000 alone does not satisfy it, and the program is qualified against a recognised scheme instead.
Yes. Prior Notice is filed with the FDA before each shipment arrives, identifying the product, the producing site, the quantity and the arrival details. Entry is refused without it.
Low-acid canned foods and acidified foods under 21 CFR 113 and 114 require the plant and the thermal process to be registered with the FDA, producing an FCE number and an SID for the process. This is separate from the food-safety certificate and is confirmed before a canned program is quoted for the United States.
Yes. Certification documents, scope and expiry for the selected producing site are provided to qualified buyers as part of the program specification, before the first order is placed.
Analysis against the agreed specification, the ingredient and allergen declaration reviewed for the destination market, and the commercial and transport documents required for entry. The exact pack is fixed on the program specification.
The published category programs are assessed individually for US entry, because the requirements differ by product: canned and acidified foods carry the FCE and SID obligation, while ambient dry goods do not. The applicable requirements are confirmed for the specific product during qualification.
Professional buyer enquiries
Your requirement does not need to be complete. Share what you know: product, quantity, destination, packaging requirements and timing. ALPHATRADE will review the scope and outline the next commercial step.
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